Road test: 2005 Mercedes-Benz C230

Road test: 2005 Mercedes-Benz C230

byBrian Harper | August 10, 2011

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2005 Mercedes-Benz C230Handout

Ah, the brutally dismissive honesty of today’s youth. Making the fatal parental mistake of asking my 16-year-old daughter’s opinion of my latest tester (and, more importantly to Jacqueline, her ride to school), she said: “It’s nice, but it’s nothing special, except for that thing [the hood ornament] up front. People will buy it because it’s a Mercedes.”

My first reaction was to jump to the defence of Mercedes — as if the renowned German luxury automaker needs my help. But, technically speaking, the kid is right. For the $37,950 base price of the C230, one can buy any number of larger, more powerful cars with pretty much the same features. And people will buy the compact-sized sedan because it is a Mercedes — with the mystique and cachet that the brand imparts.

Lost on my daughter is the fact that the C230 is Mercedes’ front-line representative to the marque — the least-expensive four-door model in the company’s expansive lineup. (Only the two-door C230 Sport Coupe is cheaper, by $1,500.)

Slotted into that market segment generally called entry-level luxury or near-luxury, the C230 is up against a formidable list of competitive makes from Europe, Japan and the Big Three. It’s not enough to have the Mercedes name, it also has to be good.

Fortunately, it is, with at least one interesting distinction that sets it apart from the rest of Mercedes’ sedans. The rear-drive C230 is powered by the Kompressor motor — a supercharged, 1.8-litre, DOHC four-cylinder. While its 189 horsepower certainly does not overwhelm the sedan, it’s enough to imbue the car with a lively, sporting feel that is absent from the rest of the C-Class versions (unless they wear the high-performance AMG badge, Mercedes’ sedans mostly perform with unruffled conservatism).

It’s worth noting that the next model up the C-Class food chain, the C240, is powered by a smoother and quieter but less powerful 2.6L SOHC V6. The company claims the C230 will hit 100 kilometres an hour in 7.8 seconds when fitted with the standard six-speed manual transmission — add another two-tenths for the optional ($1,500) five-speed manumatic version, about a second faster than the C240. More than the power, though, it’s the sound generated by the Kompressor that is immediately noticeable. Simply, there is more mechanical commotion under the hood with the blown four — a bit of a growl as it were. The engine is quite civil at cruising speeds, but it does lack the symphonic harmony of Mercedes’ sixes.

In most other cars, this wouldn’t rate a mention. The C230, however, is so commendably quiet otherwise. Details such as the windshield pillars, wipers and side-view mirrors are shaped to minimize wind noise at speed. Even though the car’s wedge-shaped design is now four years old, its sleek, wind-cheating aerodynamics is just as fresh as when first penned. I remember saying it when this generation of C-Class first debuted and I will say it again: If the car drove as fast as it looked, it would be a Teutonic hot rod. Mercedes did tweak all C-Class models for 2005 with body styling derived from the ’04 Sport Sedan, and it added redesigned clear headlamps and revised tail lamps.

The C230’s handling dynamics are skewed more in favour of touring than sport, at least, say, in comparison to BMW’s 3 Series. That said, there is nothing floaty or numb about the sedan, and it won’t embarrass its good name on a twisty bit of road. In addition to the minor facelift, ’05 C-Classes offer revised and improved hand-ling dynamics through special suspension tuning, plus a wider track width, achieved through the use of wider rear rubber. The sedan’s suspension provides a good feel for the road without any overt harshness, and the rack-and-pinion steering is well weighted. Overall, there is an inherent athleticism to the C230 — it just needs a little coaxing to bring it out.

Even if the C230 is an entry- level model, it’s still a Mercedes, and that means it gets its share of safety items — ABS, an Electronic Stability Program to help assist driver control and correct understeer or oversteer, two-stage air bags for driver and passenger, side air bags and Head Protection Curtain air bags.

The C-Class’s interior receives a noticeable overhaul — new dashboard, new four-gauge instrument cluster, new steering wheel, new centre console and redesigned seats. If not overtly luxurious, there is at least an upscale feeling to the C230, with high-quality fit and finish. The dark interior with dark ash wood trim that was in the tester is a bit too sober for my tastes. Front seat legroom is phenomenal for a compact — it’s one of the few cars in which I, at 6-foot-2, actually have to move the seat forward to get at the pedals. And there is still reasonable legroom for average-sized adults in back.

Air conditioning, remote central locking, heated power mirrors, power windows, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, power front seats (height and recline only), AM/FM stereo and message centre are all standard. The multi-function display within the instrument panel pulls up a variety of detailed information. The trip computer, for instance, includes how long the car’s been running, distance travelled, average speed and average fuel economy — call me a geek but I think that’s so cool.

Not so cool is the cost of the options that take the C230 tester from its $37,950 base price and jack it up to $44,510 — automatic transmission ($1,500), heated front seats ($740), sliding glass sunroof ($1,960), automatic day/night mirror ($290), garage door opener ($225), six-disc CD changer ($955) and metallic paint ($890). Some of these I consider must-haves, others are obviously individual choices, but all of a sudden the cost of the C230 is such that the competition becomes more palatable.

There are a number of reasons to seriously give Mercedes’ junior sedan consideration — safety, features, styling, economy of operation and, yes, the pull of the Mercedes name among them. Just remember that mystique and cachet come at a premium, no matter what the size.